BILLECART-SALMON Blanc de Blancs Brut 'Cuvee Louis Salmon' 2012 Bottle

Description

This cuvée was named in tribute to Louis, Elisabeth Salmon’s brother, who was passionate about oenology and highly involved in winemaking from the earliest creation of the House. Originating from the best parcels of the Côte des Blancs, the Blanc de Blancs vintage is endowed with purity and minerality.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 96 points/100
Yohan Castaing
"A 100% Chardonnay, sourced from vines planted in the communes of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Cramant, and Oiry, the 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Louis Salmon evokes aromas of lemon oil, pastry, baked bread, walnuts and chalk. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's vinous, almost creamy, with a layered, delicate structure that leads to a delicately citrusy, long and delicate finish. This Champagne is built to age, thanks to the power of the 2012 vintage and the house's signature tension. Disgorged in the second quarter of 2023 with 3.9 grams per liter dosage, it was matured 75% in stainless steel and 25% in barrels." (Oct 24, 2024)
Drink Date: 2024 - 2044

JAMES SUCKLING 99 points/100
Incredible aromas of brioche, bread dough and pie crust with superb, electrifying fruit, from peaches to fresh apples. It’s driven, mouthwatering and with fantastic structure, yet it’s so balanced and creamy. Very fine and silky bubbles. It’s better and better as it warms slightly in the glass. 3.9g/L dosage. Drink or hold.
James Suckling, Senior Editor

VINOUS 97 points/100
Drinking window: 2026 - 2036
The 2012 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is a gorgeous wine for drinking now, as it is quite a bit softer than the 2013 that precedes it in this tasting. Baked apple tart, spice, dried herbs and a kiss of French oak caress the palate. Rich and hedonistic, the 2012 has so much to offer. A slight hint of reduction lingers. The blend is Le Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant and Oiry.
Antonio Galloni, May 2026

WINE ENTHUSIAST 96 points/100
Produced from top parcels of Chardonnay in the Côte des Blancs, this fine Champagne is impressive. It is rich and mature, the almond aroma and croissant flavor balanced by still bright citrus and minerality. It is a great wine, just right, ready to drink. — Roger Voss

DECANTER 94 points/100
Tasted by: Tom Hewson (at London, 11 Apr 2024)
Drinking Window: 2024 - 2034
Although still feeling youthful, the superb 2012 Louis Salmon is packed with layer upon layer of flavour just waiting to unfold; there’s crisp, primary fruit of apricot and lemon syrup, richness of sourdough toast and nougat, gentle sweet spice of vanilla, tonka and fresh nuts in honey, all carried in a frame of deceptive ease and grace and a gliding, airy mousse. Nimble and pointed, this is unmarked by high dosage or the overt, tropical fruit concentration that 2012 can sometimes bring, it’s a release that treads a delicate line between opulence and delicacy, early-drinking pleasure and long-term reward. 60% from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, with the remainder from Cramant, Chouilly and Oiry, with 25% barrel fermentation and 115 months on lees. Dosage 3.9g/L.

APPEARANCE
Crystal clear pale gold colour with delicate glints marked by a nuanced patina of yellow and green. A persistent and fascinating effervescence, brimming with light.

PALATE
A creamy sensation in the mouth with a beautifully chiselled finesse. Lovely refreshing balance with natural flavours (zest of citron, almond biscuit and white pepper). This powerful wine with a majestic typicity prolongs its finish towards an aromatic persistence of incredible length (flesh of sweet citrus fruits, cardamom and vanilla-flavoured cream puffs).

AROMA
The first expression is signed by an elegant, perfect and complex maturity, yellow fruits and citrus (candied mandarin, limoncello, conference pear). An aromatic profile of a sophisticated purity and a chalky, balanced and crystalline character (cedar and raw butter).

TASTING
The unique dimension of a great Blanc de Blancs, pure and intense, with a directness perfectly associated with its low dosage. Its potential and its balance express a remarkable finesse worthy of the most sophisticated food pairings (a casserole of whole calf sweetbread from Corrèze, a creamy shellfish risotto).